Vermont Car Insurance
Vermont drivers must carry 25/50/10 liability under 23 V.S.A. § 8011 plus compulsory UM and UIM at 50/100 BI + $10,000 PD under 23 V.S.A. § 9412. Vermont is unusual: the compulsory UM/UIM floor exceeds the compulsory liability floor by default. Vermont is a traditional tort state and does not require PIP4.
YesWeSure Bottom Line
UM/UIM floor is higher than liability floor. A Vermont driver at the statutory liability minimum (25/50/10) still carries compulsory UM/UIM at 50/100 BI + $10,000 PD. This is the only state where that relationship holds by default2.
Traditional tort state. Vermont does not require PIP. First-party medical bills typically flow through health insurance or optional MedPay4.
How to make a real decision. Treat 25/50/10 as the liability floor and 50/100/10 as the UM/UIM floor. For how to think about higher liability limits, see how to choose coverage limits.
State requirements at a glance
What Vermont car insurance law requires
Minimum liability limits
25 / 50 / 101
$25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 per accident, $10,000 property damage per accident, under 23 V.S.A. § 801 (Vermont Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Act).
Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
Not required4
Vermont is a traditional tort state. No PIP is required on personal auto. Medical Payments coverage is an optional first-party add-on insurers typically offer.
Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist
50 / 100 BI + $10,000 PD required2
23 V.S.A. § 941 requires UM and UIM coverage at 50/100 bodily injury plus $10,000 property damage on every Vermont personal auto policy. UM/UIM is compulsory, not merely must-offer.
UM/UIM floor exceeds liability floor
Yes (unusual)2
Vermont is the only state where the compulsory UM/UIM floor (50/100/10) meaningfully exceeds the compulsory liability floor (25/50/10) by default. A driver at the statutory liability minimum still carries higher UM/UIM.
Coverage verification
Vermont DMV insurance verification3
The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles administers insurance verification. Confirmed lapse under 23 V.S.A. § 802 can trigger driver license and registration suspension plus SR-22 filing requirements.
Rate approval regime
Vermont DFR oversight4
Vermont does not maintain a headline statewide prohibition on credit-based insurance scoring, gender, or age as personal-auto rating factors.
25/50/10 compulsory liability
23 V.S.A. § 801 compels every registered Vermont vehicle to carry 25/50/10 liability1. Many Vermont drivers carry higher limits.
PIP: not required in Vermont
Vermont does not require Personal Injury Protection. Medical Payments coverage is an optional first-party add-on that insurers typically offer. For how MedPay compares to PIP in states that require it, see our medical payments coverage guide.
50/100/10 compulsory UM/UIM (exceeds liability floor)
23 V.S.A. § 941 requires UM and UIM coverage at 50/100 bodily injury plus $10,000 property damage on every Vermont personal auto policy2. UM/UIM is compulsory, not merely must-offer. Vermont is the only state where the compulsory UM/UIM floor meaningfully exceeds the compulsory liability floor by default.
DMV verification and lapse enforcement
The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles administers insurance verification5. A confirmed lapse under 23 V.S.A. § 802 can trigger driver license and registration suspension plus SR-22 filing requirements3. For a general lapse treatment, see our after-a-lapse guide.
Rating-factor landscape
Vermont does not maintain a headline statewide prohibition on credit-based insurance scoring, gender, or age4.
Where the Vermont situation rules live on YesWeSure
This State Guide owns the Vermont pricing and legal framework. Situation-specific mechanics live on the sibling Situation guides:
- After an accident. See our after-an-accident guide.
- After a DUI. Vermont SR-22 and reinstatement mechanics are treated in our after-a-DUI guide.
- After a lapse. DMV consequences of a lapse are treated in our after-a-lapse guide.
- Moving into Vermont. New-resident registration is treated in our moving-to-another-state guide.
What we verified for this page
- Strong25/50/10 minimum liability under 23 V.S.A. § 801 verified against the statute.
- StrongVermont is a traditional tort state (no PIP) verified against the Vermont DFR consumer guide. Consistent with the frozen YesWeSure medical-payments guide; no conflict.
- StrongUM/UIM compulsory at 50/100 BI + $10,000 PD under 23 V.S.A. § 941 verified against the statute. Vermont is the only state where the compulsory UM/UIM floor meaningfully exceeds the compulsory liability floor by default.
- StrongVermont DMV insurance verification under 23 V.S.A. § 802 verified against the statute.
- LimitedDeliberately omitted from V1. A Vermont modeled cost anchor; carrier-specific VT underwriting; the exact SR-22 duration (deferred to the after-a-DUI guide); and telematics program detail.
- LimitedNamed author and expert reviewer. V1 attributes to "YesWeSure Editorial." A Vermont-licensed reviewer is tracked as a pre-launch YMYL item.
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Common questions
What is the minimum car insurance required in Vermont?
25/50/10 liability under 23 V.S.A. § 8011 plus compulsory UM/UIM at 50/100 BI + $10,000 PD under 23 V.S.A. § 9412.
Is Vermont a no-fault state?
No. Vermont is a traditional tort state and does not require PIP4.
Sources & methodology
- 23 V.S.A. § 801: Vermont Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Act; 25/50/10 compulsory liability. (Vermont General Assembly, TIER 1)
- 23 V.S.A. § 941: Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist coverage compulsory at 50/100 BI and $10,000 PD. (Vermont General Assembly, TIER 1)
- 23 V.S.A. § 802: compulsory motor vehicle insurance; penalties and license/registration suspension for operation without insurance. (Vermont General Assembly, TIER 1)
- Vermont Department of Financial Regulation: Automobile Insurance consumer page. (Vermont Department of Financial Regulation, TIER 1)
- Vermont DMV: Insurance Requirements consumer page. (Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles, TIER 1)
- YesWeSure: Car insurance after an accident (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: Car insurance after a DUI (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: Car insurance after a lapse in coverage (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: Car insurance when moving to another state (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: What is medical payments coverage? (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: How to choose coverage limits (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: How insurers calculate rates (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
Evidence hierarchy on this page: Tier 1 (Vermont Statutes Annotated, Vermont Department of Financial Regulation, Vermont DMV). Every legal number traces to a Vermont primary source: 23 V.S.A. §§ 801, 802, 941. This page is informational and does not constitute legal, tax, or insurance advice. Last reviewed .